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Bill C-24

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42-43 ELIZABETH II

CHAPTER 23

An Act to amend the Canada Wildlife Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act

[Assented to 23rd June, 1994]

      Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

R.S., c. W-9; 1991, c. 50

CANADA WILDLIFE ACT

1. The long title of the French version of the Canada Wildlife Act is replaced by the following:

Loi concernant les espèces sauvages du Canada

2. Section 1 of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

Titre abrégé

1. Loi sur les espèces sauvages du Canada.

3. The heading before section 2 of the Act is replaced by the following:

INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION

4. (1) The definition ``wildlife'' in subsection 2(1) of the English version of the Act is repealed.

(2) The definition ``public lands'' in subsection 2(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

``public lands''
« terres domaniales »

``public lands'' means lands belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada and lands that the Government of Canada has power to dispose of, subject to the terms of any agreement between the Government of Canada and the government of the province in which the lands are situated, and includes

      (a) any waters on or flowing through the lands and the natural resources of the lands, and

      (b) the internal waters and the territorial sea of Canada;

(3) Subsection 2(1) of the Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

``conveyance' '
« moyen de transport »

``conveyance'' means a vehicle, aircraft or water-borne craft or any other contrivance that is used to move persons or goods;

(4) Subsection 2(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

Possession

(2) For the purposes of this Act,

    (a) a person has anything in possession when the person has it in their personal possession or knowingly

      (i) has it in the actual possession or custody of another person, or

      (ii) has it in any place, whether or not that place belongs to or is occupied by the person, for their own use or benefit or for the use or benefit of another person; and

    (b) where a person has anything in their custody or possession with the knowledge and consent of another person or other persons, it is in the custody and possession of each and all of them.

Aboriginal and treaty rights

(3) For greater certainty, nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any existing aboriginal or treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Application

(4) The provisions of this Act respecting wildlife apply in respect of

    (a) any animal, plant or other organism belonging to a species that is wild by nature or that is not easily distinguishable from such a species; and

    (b) the habitat of any such animal, plant or other organism.

*ep

5. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 2:

HER MAJESTY

Binding on Her Majesty

2.1 This Act is binding on Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province.

6. (1) Paragraphs 3(a) to (c) of the French version of the Act are replaced by the following:

    a) recommander, susciter et prendre des mesures de nature à favoriser la participation du public aux activités de conservation et d'information concernant les espèces sauvages;

    b) susciter des conférences et réunions dans le cadre des activités de recherche, de conservation et d'information concernant les espèces sauvages;

    c) lancer des programmes de recherche et d'investigation sur les espèces sauvages et, à cet effet, mettre sur pied et faire fonctionner les laboratoires et autres installations nécessaires;

(2) Paragraph 3(e) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

    e) en collaboration avec le gouvernement de la province intéressée, coordonner et mettre en oeuvre la politique et les programmes relatifs aux espèces sauvages.

1991, c. 50, s. 47(1)

7. (1) Subsection 4(1) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

Affectation des terres domaniales

4. (1) Le gouverneur en conseil peut confier au ministre la gestion des terres domaniales dont il est convaincu qu'elles sont nécessaires aux activités de recherche, de conservation ou d'information concernant les espèces sauvages.

(2) Paragraphs 4(2)(a) and (b) of the French version of the Act are replaced by the following:

    a) prendre en charge les installations de recherche sur les espèces sauvages qui s'y trouvent;

    b) agir à titre de conseiller pour les activités de recherche, de conservation et d'information concernant les espèces sauvages qui s'y déroulent;

(3) Paragraphs 4(2)(c) and (d) of the Act are replaced by the following:

    (c) subject to the regulations, carry out measures for the conservation of wildlife on those lands not inconsistent with any law respecting wildlife in the province in which the lands are situated; and

    (d) subject to the regulations, establish facilities or construct, maintain and operate works for wildlife research, conservation and interpretation on those lands.

8. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 4:

Protected marine areas

4.1 (1) The Governor in Council may establish protected marine areas within any fishing zone prescribed under section 4 of the Territorial Sea and Fishing Zones Act.

Advice and conservation measures

(2) The Minister may provide advice relating to any wildlife research, conservation and interpretation carried out in protected marine areas and may carry out measures for the conservation of wildlife in those areas.

9. Paragraph 5(a) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

    a) d'une part, la mise en oeuvre de programmes et de mesures relatifs aux activités de recherche, de conservation et d'information concernant les espèces sauvages, ainsi que la gestion des terres à cette fin ou la construction, l'entretien et l'exploitation d'installations et ouvrages connexes;

10. Section 8 of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

Protection

8. Le ministre peut, en collaboration avec le ou les gouvernements provinciaux intéressés, prendre les mesures qu'il juge nécessaires pour la protection des espèces sauvages menacées d'extinction.

11. (1) Paragraph 9(1)(b) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

    b) avec l'accord du gouvernement de la province intéressée, d'autres espèces sauvages.

(2) Subsection 9(3) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

Vente ou location des terres

(3) Le ministre peut autoriser l'aliénation ou la cession à bail de terres acquises aux termes du paragraphe (1) si, selon le gouverneur en conseil, elle ne va pas à l'encontre des activités de recherche, de conservation ou d'information concernant les espèces sauvages.

12. Section 10 of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:

Libéralités

10. Le ministre emploie, gère ou aliène les biens - notamment l'argent ou les valeurs mobilières - acquis par Sa Majesté, par don, legs ou autre mode de libéralités, et destinés aux espèces sauvages, et ce, en respectant les conditions dont sont éventuellement assorties ces libéralités.

13. Section 11 of the Act is replaced by the following:

Wildlife officers

11. (1) The Minister may designate any person or class of persons to act as wildlife officers for the purposes of this Act and the regulations.

Designation of provincial government employees

(2) The Minister may not designate any person or class of persons employed by the government of a province unless that government agrees.

Certificate of designation

(3) Every wildlife officer must be provided with a certificate of designation as a wildlife officer in a form approved by the Minister and, on entering any place under this Act, the officer shall, if so requested, show the certificate to the occupant or person in charge of the place.

Powers of peace officers

(4) For the purposes of this Act and the regulations, wildlife officers have all the powers of a peace officer, but the Minister may specify limits on those powers when designating any person or class of persons.

Exemptions for law enforcement activities

(5) For the purpose of investigations and other law enforcement activities under this Act, the Minister may, on any terms and conditions the Minister considers necessary, exempt wildlife officers who are carrying out duties or functions under this Act, and persons acting under their direction and control, from the application of any provision of this Act or the regulations.

Obstruction

(6) When a wildlife officer is carrying out duties or functions under this Act or the regulations, no person shall

    (a) knowingly make any false or misleading statement either orally or in writing to the wildlife officer; or

    (b) otherwise wilfully obstruct the wildlife officer.

Inspections

11.1 (1) For the purpose of ensuring compliance with this Act and the regulations, a wildlife officer may, subject to subsection (3), at any reasonable time enter and inspect any place in which the officer believes, on reasonable grounds, there is any thing to which this Act or the regulations apply or any document relating to the administration of this Act or the regulations, and the wildlife officer may

    (a) open or cause to be opened any container that the wildlife officer believes, on reasonable grounds, contains any such thing or document;

    (b) inspect the thing and take samples free of charge;

    (c) require any person to produce the document for inspection or copying, in whole or in part; and

    (d) seize any thing by means of or in relation to which the wildlife officer believes, on reasonable grounds, this Act or the regulations have been contravened or that the wildlife officer believes, on reasonable grounds, will provide evidence of a contravention.

Conveyance

(2) For the purposes of carrying out the inspection, the wildlife officer may stop a conveyance or direct that it be moved to a place where the inspection can be carried out.

Dwelling-plac e

(3) The wildlife officer may not enter a dwelling-place except with the consent of the occupant or person in charge of the dwelling-place or under the authority of a warrant.

Warrant

(4) Where on ex parte application a justice, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code, is satisfied by information on oath that

    (a) the conditions for entry described in subsection (1) exist in relation to a dwelling-place,

    (b) entry to the dwelling-place is necessary in relation to the administration of this Act or the regulations, and

    (c) entry to the dwelling-place has been refused or there are reasonable grounds for believing that entry will be refused,

the justice may issue a warrant authorizing the wildlife officer to enter the dwelling-place subject to any conditions that may be specified in the warrant.

Search and seizure without warrant

11.2 For the purpose of ensuring compliance with this Act and the regulations, a wildlife officer may exercise the powers of search and seizure provided in section 487 of the Criminal Code without a warrant if the conditions for obtaining a warrant exist but by reason of exigent circumstances it would not be feasible to obtain the warrant.

Custody of things seized

11.3 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where a wildlife officer seizes a thing under this Act or under a warrant issued under the Criminal Code,

    (a) sections 489.1 and 490 of the Criminal Code apply; and

    (b) the wildlife officer, or any person that the officer may designate, shall retain custody of the thing subject to any order made under section 490 of the Criminal Code.

Forfeiture where ownership not ascertainable

(2) Where the lawful ownership of or entitlement to the seized thing cannot be ascertained within thirty days after its seizure, the thing, or any proceeds of its disposition, are forfeited to

    (a) Her Majesty in right of Canada, if the thing was seized by a wildlife officer employed in the public service of Canada; or

    (b) Her Majesty in right of a province, if the thing was seized by a wildlife officer employed by the government of that province.

Perishable things

(3) Where the seized thing is perishable, the wildlife officer may dispose of it or destroy it, and any proceeds of its disposition must be

    (a) paid to the lawful owner or person lawfully entitled to possession of the thing, unless proceedings under this Act are commenced within ninety days after its seizure; or

    (b) retained by the wildlife officer pending the outcome of the proceedings.

Abandonment

(4) The owner of the seized thing may abandon it to Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province.

Disposition by Minister

11.4 Any thing that has been forfeited or abandoned under this Act must be dealt with and disposed of as the Minister may direct.

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